for jen

"if we had no winter,

the spring would not be so pleasant;
if we did not sometimes taste of adversity,
prosperity would not be so welcome."
~anne bradstreet

{i saw a friend and past co-worker while out taking pictures and looking for signs of spring yesterday. we talked for a while about jobs, job loss, the suffering economy and how it is affecting our lives. we knew full well that things are tough, but we tried to mix in some positivity and hope with our conversation—difficult to do when talking about those things. we were both grateful for the beautiful day and that spring is around the corner. we talked about her beautiful new baby. we talked about what prospects lay on the horizon. then we gave each other a hug and went on our way. i went on to take more pictures. this is one i took. i love how the old leaf that has been there through winter—hanging on, is about to be discarded to make room for a new leaf, which you can see is just now beginning to bud. it reminded me of hope. i hope it does the same for you, jen.}